Chapter 1

Xiao JJ swears that this book is original and not plagiarized. The reason why 'Blood Shadow' partially turned into 'Knight Rose' is due to my personal reasons. When using WORD to replace, the symbols caused the replacement to be incomplete, leading to confusion.

As for why I replaced the names, the reason is simple. I wrote a draft that was a failure. I wrote nearly 50,000 words that were a failure.

The following is the original draft:

Chapter 42: The Vow of Protection

"Don't look!"

At that moment, Qin Wulan's voice, which was usually steady, turned into a shrill scream like that of a helpless child.

Zhao Nan frowned and said, "Cover her mouth."

Fenina immediately covered Qin Wulan's lips with one hand while using the other to restrain her struggles.

Zhao Nan, on the other hand, focused on examining all of her information. Since the other party had harbored murderous intentions from the start, Zhao Nan naturally did not hold back.

Qin Wulan, Level 12. Her profession is a Divine Knight, indeed a hidden profession. However, this profession is not unique, but the number of people who can obtain it is limited. It is considered a relatively powerful hidden profession.

Character attributes, equipment, money, and items. Zhao Nan did not miss any information within the bracelet. Finally, he looked at the quest panel.

The other party's quest panel had only one entry, written in gold, which was the content of the quest related to this fantasy instance.

"Quest: Find the Fountain of Eternal Youth. Content: The witch of the Valley of Wind wishes to remain eternally young. If someone can find the legendary Fountain of Eternal Youth and summon her pet, Ozanik, with the Moon Horn on a full moon night, and offer the Fountain of Eternal Youth, they will receive the witch's blessing! Difficulty: Moderate. Reward: 1 Resurrection Gem, 3000 experience points, 100 gold coins, and the witch's blessing."

The so-called Moon Horn was in Qin Wulan's backpack. After some thought, Zhao Nan directly initiated a forced transaction.

This was an illegal trading method before the game system was fully perfected. By controlling the player's body, the bracelet could force the transaction. However, quests are bound to individuals and cannot be transferred unless the person consents.

Seeing the Moon Horn disappear from her backpack, Qin Wulan's face changed dramatically. At this point, Fenina, following Zhao Nan's signal, released her.

The Moon Horn was now in Zhao Nan's hand, emitting a faint silver glow.

"Now, let's talk again," Zhao Nan said leisurely, looking at Qin Wulan. "The Resurrection Gem is probably the real reason you don't want to give up on this quest, right?"

At this moment, Qin Wulan, who had already been aware of the matters concerning the fantasy instance, gritted her teeth and nodded. However, her gaze was very calm, as if she had already forgotten half of what had just happened.

This person has extremely strong self-control... Zhao Nan thought to himself, then laughed and said, "But... I don't seem to have a reason to give up such a treasure?"

"The witch's blessing! I can give you that," Qin Wulan said, gritting her teeth again. "The witch's blessing is more practical than the Resurrection Gem!"

"This blessing doesn't have specific content," Zhao Nan shook his head.

"Trust me, this blessing is something every man dreams of! You won't regret it!"

Zhao Nan laughed and said, "I still don't know the content... and why should I trust you?"

At this moment, Qin Wulan suddenly sighed, her expression becoming extremely serious. She suddenly drew the knight's longsword stuck in the ground. As Fenina raised her guard, Qin Wulan raised the sword between her eyebrows.

"President, no!!"

The person behind her also cried out in alarm.

But... a steady voice sounded at this moment.

"I, Qin Wulan, in the name of a Divine Knight, vow to protect the person before me, offering my loyalty!"

Zhao Nan was stunned, and Qin Wulan had already knelt before him on one knee.

It was the vow of protection of a Divine Knight!

A knight's duty is to protect. As the pinnacle of the knight profession, a Divine Knight must also adhere to this principle. The vow of protection of a Divine Knight is even more solemn. They can only exist to protect one person in their lifetime. Once they determine their protected person, they can become a more powerful Divine Guardian Knight, with their profession's abilities increasing by 30%, directly placing them on par with unique hidden professions.

However, there are advantages and disadvantages. If a knight breaks their vow and is no longer loyal, they will lose all their powers and become an ordinary person. Who would be willing to maintain loyalty to someone else, given the potential for extraordinary power as a Divine Knight?

At least, Zhao Nan believed he couldn't do it under normal circumstances.

After the vow of protection ended, a golden light burst from Qin Wulan's body. A golden flame mark appeared on her forehead.

This was the mark of loyalty. Once the mark dimmed, it meant she had lost her knight powers.

Qin Wulan remained kneeling, her head lowered, and said calmly, "Now, can you trust me?"

Zhao Nan muttered. The vow of protection is voluntarily issued by the knight, and no one can stop it, regardless of whether the other party consents. This made him even more curious.

"The Resurrection Gem... is it really that important to you?"

"Yes, I am willing to exchange my life for it," Qin Wulan said frankly.

The golden flame mark was very clear. With this mark, if she lied to her protected person, the mark would dim, indicating disloyalty.

Zhao Nan looked at Fenina, unsure of what to do in this situation. But Fenina gave him a gentle look. They had a high level of默契 (mutual understanding), a look of trust.

The Resurrection Gem is a very rare treasure, but it's not the only place to obtain it.

"Tell me what the witch's blessing is."

"I can only say that you won't mind receiving it... you might even be overjoyed."

The golden mark remained clear, but she refused to say more. If it was for the sake of her protected person, even if she concealed something, it wouldn't be considered betrayal. However, it became a loophole for negotiation.

Zhao Nan's curiosity was thoroughly piqued by this so-called 'witch's blessing.'

However... the quest reward did not specify the content of the 'witch's blessing.' How did she know? Was it information obtained during the quest trigger process...

It seemed to be the only possibility.

Qin Wulan remained kneeling, like the most loyal subject.

After a moment, Zhao Nan sighed and said calmly, "I am Zhao Nan, a Mage. This is Fenina, a Swordsman."

The few people present, including Qin Wulan, all looked at him.

Zhao Nan shrugged, "If we are to cooperate, it's only natural to introduce ourselves... The maximum number of people in the instance is 6, and I need two spots."

Qin Wulan's face lit up, and she quickly stood up, introducing the five people behind her one by one.

'Knight Rose' seemed to be a guild with more women than men. The guild president was a woman, and these five people held high positions in the guild. Yan Nan was even the vice president.

Zhao Nan needed two spots. The remaining spots could be allocated by Qin Wulan herself. He didn't care to interfere. He valued the vow of protection.

After all, once betrayed, one would lose all their powers. This was a heavy burden, likely impossible to break for a lifetime.

The decision-making process took less than three minutes. Zhao Nan was impressed by the five people's obedience to Qin Wulan. In the end, the vice president Yan Nan and another Swordsman were left behind.

Thus, the team was reformed.

The other three were a Black Iron Archer, Ouyang Yu, a Priest, Ouyang Ru, and a Dark Mage, Ouyang Yi.

Only then did Zhao Nan realize that these three were triplets.

These five were all women, and they seemed to be more than ordinary people before the game world transformation...

At the same time, through the team formation, these four could now see Zhao Nan and Fenina's levels and professions. Both were Level 14, and from Zhao Nan's ability to cast three different series of spells, it was clear he was not an ordinary Mage.

Qin Wulan's expression became strange as she stared at Zhao Nan's face for over ten seconds before shaking her head.

This gaze puzzled Zhao Nan, but she quickly returned to a calm and composed demeanor and asked, "Mr. Zhao, do you have the key with you?"

At the entrance of the fantasy instance, Qin Wulan said calmly. Although she had made the vow of protection, she did not intend to show respect. As long as there was no betrayal, it was fine.

Zhao Nan didn't mind, nodding. He inserted the key into the small hole at the entrance.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered a problem. Next time, he should not rush to find the instance coordinates from someone else's hands.

"Wait a moment, Mr. Zhao, do you know about the fantasy instance?" Qin Wulan suddenly asked.

"The key has information about the fantasy instance," Zhao Nan said indifferently. "I know a bit about it."

Qin Wulan nodded thoughtfully and then remained silent.

He held Fenina's hand, and as the instance door opened, a force pulled the six of them inside.

The system's voice sounded.

"Dragon Emperor's Tomb, scene generation..."

...

Chapter 43: Fantasy Instance "Dragon Emperor's Tomb"

Sand rolled like an ocean, the only scenery. In the distance, many dunes and gullies could be seen.

The sky was filled with burning clouds, and it was dusk.

This was the scene that appeared before Zhao Nan and the five others after entering the instance. At the same time, their attire had completely changed.

The style was that of simple farmer clothes from several decades ago.

"Where... are we?" Ouyang Yu, the eldest of the triplets, looked around and frowned. "There are no buildings in sight!"

"Check if you can open your backpacks," Zhao Nan suddenly said.

Everyone quickly checked and then looked slightly panicked.

Zhao Nan nodded, pointed his staff forward, and a small fireball shot out, creating a small pit in the yellow earth.

"Skills can be used, and the effects of equipment are still active... but the backpacks can't be opened," Zhao Nan frowned. "This means we can't use any restorative potions and can only rely on our natural recovery."

He then shot six more small fireballs, raising a significant amount of dust. Zhao Nan frowned, "The power seems to be limited to about half of its original strength, and the recovery speed is one-third of the original."

Everyone quickly tested, and the results were almost the same as what Zhao Nan had said.

Qin Wulan suggested they leave this place and figure out where they were before making further plans.

Zhao Nan had no objections, and they began walking on the yellow earth and red sand. The temperature difference between day and night was significant, and the climate was dry. Without being able to open their backpacks, their first challenge was to find food and water.

If they couldn't find water and food, they wouldn't last long.

After two hours, it was already night. The surroundings were pitch black, but the stars were very bright. However, the group clearly had no time to appreciate the scenery.

At this moment, the Dark Mage, Ouyang Yi, suddenly exclaimed, "There are people ahead!"

She used a 'Night Hawk's Eye' skill, which allowed her to scout up to 100 meters in the dark.

After walking 100 meters, they indeed saw a camp. The smell of food wafted from the campfire.

The attire of these people was surprisingly familiar to Zhao Nan, and their faces were those of pure Easterners... It was Earth's clothing, but the style seemed to be from about forty or fifty years ago... farmer's clothes.

At this moment, Qin Wulan suggested sending someone to scout and gather information. After some discussion, it was decided that Zhao Nan and Qin Wulan would go.

Halfway there, Qin Wulan suddenly squatted down, grabbed a handful of yellow earth, and without hesitation, smeared it on her face. With the simple village woman's clothes and a face covered in dirt, Qin Wulan had completely transformed into a disheveled and genuine rural woman.

Women are naturally beauty-conscious, and to do this... the president of 'Knight Rose' was not simple.

"Stay behind me," Qin Wulan said.

Qin Wulan took the lead... seemingly to adhere to her vow. Zhao Nan found it somewhat amusing. Although everyone's skill power had decreased, his casting speed had not, which indirectly increased his strength.

Of course, if his mana could keep up. Without the support of mana recovery potions from his backpack, his fortress-like skill attacks would be significantly weakened.

"Brother, can you help us?"

Qin Wulan pinched her throat, making her voice even more hoarse... she had fully entered the role, transforming from a village girl to a village woman. Zhao Nan couldn't help but laugh, and he received a displeased look in return.

Zhao Nan quickly waved his hands, indicating he had no intention of mocking. After Qin Wulan made the vow of protection, Zhao Nan had some reservations but was no longer overly cautious. However, he didn't fully accept her; they were just slightly better than strangers.

A cooperative relationship based on mutual interests.

"What do you want?" A man walked out of the camp, his shirt casually unbuttoned, revealing a large belly, looking like he had just eaten.

He spoke in Chinese... Zhao Nan was taken aback, still unsure of the script this fantasy instance had chosen. Fantasy instances differ from regular instances in that you might not encounter a familiar script. After all, the various fantasies created by humans are countless.

Qin Wulan lowered her head, "Brother, we're lost. We've been hungry for a long time. Can you give us some food?"

"Do you have any money?"

"No..."

"Go away, go back where you came from!" The man waved his hand, looking annoyed.

"Brother, please, we haven't eaten for a whole day!"

"You're so annoying! Go, go... go..."

The man was initially very impatient, but he soon calmed down. His eyes gradually lost their luster, becoming vacant, and his body lost its vigor.

"This is..."

"Leave such questioning to the Mage," Zhao Nan stepped over Qin Wulan and said calmly. "Unless under severe torture."

Qin Wulan remained silent. Knights are heavy attackers and do not have the Mage's mysterious skills.

"Then... tell me, where are we, and what are you doing here?" Zhao Nan walked up to the man and said in a commanding tone.

"This is the Ningxia Gobi. We are here to excavate the Dragon Emperor's tomb," the man responded mechanically.

Dragon Emperor... it sounded familiar. Zhao Nan frowned and asked, "Who is in charge of the excavation... how far have you dug?"

"A foreigner named Alex. The Dragon Emperor's tomb has been opened. Alex has already transported the Dragon Emperor's terracotta warriors. We are here for the follow-up excavation."

"When did this happen?"

"Three days ago."

"Go and get some food for six people." With that, he snapped his fingers, and the man quickly ran into the camp.

"How did it go?" Qin Wulan asked curiously.

Zhao Nan touched his nose. The Gobi desert's night sky was filled with stars, and he said softly, "I have a general idea. Let's talk about it when we get back."

Soon, the man returned with a bag of food and drinking water. How he obtained it was no longer Zhao Nan's concern.

...

Under a distant mound, the group ate the food and sat around a campfire started by the triplets.

"Has anyone seen the third part of a mummy-themed movie? The scene of this instance is the 'Dragon Emperor's Tomb,'" Zhao Nan said, biting into a flatbread.

Fenina naturally shook her head. Zhao Nan knew this. However, the four members of the 'Knight Rose' guild also looked bewildered.

"Even though it's a well-received film, it's not like you've never heard of it," Zhao Nan said, incredulously.

For Western blockbusters, regardless of their quality, the promotion is always thorough.

"I don't pay much attention to movies," Qin Wulan shook her head and added, "I don't have the time."

Zhao Nan looked at the triplets. They were probably around twenty years old.

"We don't have the time either," their answers were the same.

"Alright, I guess I have more free time, so I know about it," Zhao Nan sighed. "I'll take command of this mission."

"Okay."

Qin Wulan's response was short and direct.

...

This is the original Chapter 42 and 43. The president of the 'Knight Rose' guild is Qin Wulan. I won't elaborate on why I wrote a failed draft, but I wrote from Chapter 40 to 55 and had to revise it. I won't post the extra chapters, but perhaps I can insert them later. However, this character is now posted, and they probably won't appear again.

If you think I plagiarized, you can copy a segment and search on Baidu.

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